Tasmania is unique among the Australian States in the extent that private forests is included in the State's forested land: 1 million hectares or 30%.

Approximately 16% of private forested land in Tasmania is owned by large industrial companies, with the balance owned by individual private owners. Gunns Limited is the largest private forest manager in the State. Norske Skog is the largest private softwood estate manager. Non-industrial tree farmers constitute the remainder of the forest estate with many of these growers forming market co-operatives to sell their timber.